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Not to Be Missed: Book Signing and Film Festival!

October 17th, 2008: Mickey Sperlich will be one of the authors featured at a book signing gala event at the 2008 Midwives Alliance of North America Conference, in Traverse City, Michigan. Mickey is co-author with Julia Seng of Survivor Moms. The historic State Theatre will be the venue for the event, in conjunction with the highlight evening of the MotherBaby Film Festival. READ MORE…

The Germany Conference Begins October 22

There's still time to attend, but only walk-in registrations will be accepted at this time. Pack your bags and come learn about breech birth. In the full-day Breech Birth: Many Approaches class you'll learn how to turn breech babies, what to do if they won't turn and how to work with breeches in waterbirth. The class will cover palpation skills, estimating fetal weight, amniotic fluid, and communication with baby by touch and words. You'll learn about frank, footling and complete breech, and how to stay calm. Bad Wildbad, Germany, 22–26 October 2008. LEARN MORE…

Finding Better Solutions to End Bullying: What an Organization Can Do

This final article in our series on bullying addresses what organizations can do to end bullying, as well as legislative solutions that have been proposed. "Surveys, studies and scholarly research show that bullying is rampant within the realm of health care. This problem exists in all levels of health care and, although many health journals are silent on the matter, the mental health field is finding more and more correlations between workplace violence and mental health trauma. Now organizations such the Work Place Trauma Institute (WPTI) are drawing attention to the problem by working on legislation to protect individuals who currently are not protected by criminal law statutes" READ MORE…

Amicus Maternity Center: Part II

"Amicus Maternity Clinic serves mostly middle-class women, but also rich and poor, educated and uneducated clients. One thing the clients have in common is that all of them want to avoid public hospitals. The Clinic does approximately 12–14 births per month, all onsite. A midwife is present at the birth center 24 hours a day so women can come in whenever they are in labor or have a question." READ MORE…

The Enduring Qualities in Midwifery

I am so glad Jan chose trends vs. traditions as the theme for this issue! As midwifery is poised to go mainstream, we must be very clear on our foundation: What is essential to our work, and what is momentary or temporary? In other words, what about midwifery has endured, and what must endure if we are to continue to provide what women want when they seek midwifery care? READ MORE…

Vegan Pregnancy Diet

Aside from the details of my homebirth of twins, Psalm and Zoya—a vertex son and a footling breech daughter—the questions I get most frequently concern my vegan diet. [ PHOTO BY HEATHER LONG ] READ MORE…

Amicus Maternity Center: Part I

“Often only one strong, tenacious individual is needed to manifest a great idea. Venus Mark, a brilliant and dynamic nurse-midwife, opened this full-service birth center on July 23, 1970. … One of the most unique aspects of Amicus is the mother-daughter midwife-obstetrician team. Since 1999 Dr. Lisa Mark, MD, FACOG—Venus's daughter—has worked at the birth center. In contrast to the obstetricians who were previously associated with the organization, Lisa's office is located at Amicus. In addition to routine gynecological and obstetrical care, she performs high-risk care, including doing cesareans, when necessary. Because she is able to provide onsite care for women who feel more comfortable with a doctor, the clinic is fairly autonomous.” READ MORE…

Trends vs. Traditions

Author Jill Cohen lists and contrasts numerous trends in birthing practices. "The trend is to do every test available. To find out if the baby has anomalies or other things considered “a problem.” To know the sex of the child. To see inside our sacred wombs and view everything possible. ~ The tradition is to accept and love what we have made. To honor the unknowing with excitement and anticipation. To wonder but not disturb the natural course of creation. To let nature take its course." READ MORE…

Witness the joy of homebirth…

…as you watch two families share their birth experiences on the DVD, “Home Birth: The Spirit, The Science and The Mother.” This beautiful, empowering DVD is designed to help dispel the misconceptions about homebirth and midwives. It features interviews with three doctors: Marsden Wagner, MD, Jeanine Tgettis, DC, and Fred R. Duhart, DO. This DVD is now part of “Attending Birth,” a new 2-DVD set. The second disk, “Evidence Based Childbirth” features Medical Anthropologist, Dr Robbie Davis-Floyd discussing the benefits of homebirth from a scientific and personal standpoint. Order your copy today and learn why the home is a joyful, empowering and safe place to give birth. VIEW PRODUCT…

Subscription Sale for Students!

Special prices on Midwifery Today magazine! Act fast! This offer expires October 17 (postmark or fax by the expiration date). VIEW SPECIAL OFFER…

Learn about midwifery education!

Are you an aspiring midwife who's looking for the right school? Are you a practicing midwife who would like learn more? Visit our Education Opportunities page to discover ways to start or continue your education. LEARN MORE…

Trick of the Trade

The best way to induce naturally for most mothers is to have sex! After intercourse the woman should try to keep the semen around her cervix for as long as is comfortable. Semen contains the wonderful natural prostaglandins that help ripen the cervix. Orgasm also releases hormones that promote uterine activity.

If a woman is not able to have intercourse, nipple stimulation is also useful. If women are birthing in hospital settings, privacy should be allowed for these activities.

— Amanda Gear, Australia, E-News 1:49

Quotable Quote

Medicine and midwifery are not sciences, they are clinical practices. It is the nature of scientific work to expose inconsistencies, to show the flaws in the old paradigm. Clinical practice is not about generating data—it's about treating people.

— Barbara Katz Rothman

FDA Warns about Use of CellCept or Myfortic during Pregnancy

The FDA has reissued a warning that the drugs mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept) and mycophenolic acid (Myfortic) may cause miscarriages and birth defects if used during pregnancy. Both are used to prevent organ rejection in patients with transplants, but also are sometimes used off-label to treat conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Congenital malformations associated with these drugs include bilateral microtia or anotia (ear deformities, cleft palate and lip and other major structural defects. See http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/InfoSheets/HCP/mycophelolateHCP.htm for the complete warning.